Tsuki no Aika
by leian
Summary: Here is a retelling of a legend. Here is the tale of how the daiyoukai of the West fell in love with a human hime. [Inupapa & Izayoi fic.]
1. Prelude

**Title**: Tsuki no Aika (Lament of the Moon)  
**Summary**: The tale of the love between the daiyoukai of the West and a hime from the East.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its elements. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

-  
- **_Prologue_** -  
-

All he had wanted was peace.

The _kirin_ had known that. It was why it had come to him, wreathed in flame. It was why it had aided him, guided him, down the path that had led to this moment, this destiny.

He sat in near-darkness and silence, his knee just barely touching the edge of her _tatami_. The garden screen door was ajar and beyond it he saw clouds sailing past the crescent moon that was her symbol.

All he had wanted was to protect what was his.

But he knew now that there were things that even he could not guard against.

She was gone, slipping away in the night.

He looked down at sleeping infant he cradled. His firstborn, his heir. This was a moment in which his heart should have been soaring. Yet, instead of joy, he tasted bitterness. The little one should have been a solace, a bastion against his pain. But he felt no comfort, only a chill that lodged itself deep within him.

She was gone, never to grace his day again.

And their son, who bore her marks on his brow and cheeks, whose tiny face echoed her delicate beauty, would never know the poetry of her every movement, the edge of her incisive wit, the cool precision of her touch, the sharp intellect in her eyes.

Some things even he could not prevent, some things he could not hold onto.

She had named their child in their last moment.

In his mind, he could still see her eyes glinting in the dark as she breathed the name: _Sesshoumaru_. He would be a great warrior, said she who had always been glorious in battle.

And then, she was gone, leaving him bereft.

- _end_ -

**Thank you for reading!** Questions? Thoughts? Feedback would be pored over and read again and again with delight. For those with a FFN account, don't forget to log in so I can reply to your comment!

**Glossary**  
_Kirin _– Japanese mythological creature that aids the righteous and protects all life. It has been described as having the head of a dragon with a single horn on its forehead, the body of a deer, the tail of a lion and the hooves of an ox. Its body is covered with flame and scales.  
_Tatami_ – Sleeping mat woven of buckwheat husk.  
_Sesshoumaru_ – Means 'the killing perfection'.


	2. Verse 1: Return

**Title:** _Tsuki no Aika_ (Lament of the Moon)  
**Summary:** The tale of the love between the _daiyoukai _of the West and a _hime _from the East.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its elements. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Notes:  
**1. The story name has been _changed_. _Tsuki no Kyuuei_ (ancient songs of the moon) is now _Tsuki no Aika_ (Lament of the Moon). Hope you like the new name as much as I do. The LJ community has been changed accordingly. (see my profile for link)  
2. _Major_ changes in the prologue – if you read the first version, please read the new one.  
3. Glossary of terms at the end of the chapter.

_For **wicked-oni**, for happy thoughts.  
Also for**moreta** and **eleia** for feedback.  
And most definitely for **quietharm**, for beta-reading, for artistic inspiration, and for starting me in this fandom._

-  
- _**One** _-  
-

The palanquin swayed rhythmically. Izayoi barely noticed the motion anymore, having traveled this way all her life. Nor did the faint creak of the frame or the flutter of the sheer curtains draw her attention.

She inhaled a breath, relishing the way it did not catch or spark off a coughing fit.

She knew that her father did not like her going West; it was her failing health that forced him to let her go. He would not speak of his reluctance, but Izayoi thought she knew why; although Takase no Shinawaru was his ally and husband to his lady's sister, Takahiro no Matsumori felt that the West was a poor influence on his daughter.

His feelings were not, perhaps, completely unfounded; life in the Western realm was indeed very different from that in _Kiso-sanmyaku_, the central mountains. Izayoi felt a smile tug at her mouth, remembering her first exposure to that startling new world.

In her mind's eye, she saw a tall girl in a yellow-and-ochre _tsukesage_. _"Let's get you out of those robes; they must be suffocating," _she had said briskly, peeling off the outer layers of Izayoi's _junihitoe_._ "With all this weighing you down, it's no wonder you're so tiny." _

Amaya had been so different from any other girl Izayoi had met up to that point; a whirlwind of words and emotions, fresh, uninhibited, cavalier.

And by the time the missive arrived from Matsumori biding his daughter return home, the cousins had become inseparable.

It had been five years and Izayoi was eager to return. The long journey wore on her patience and she restlessly turned her face to the setting sun.

The messenger her father had sent to announce her arrival had taken twenty days to return; that meant that he had reached the Takase manor in ten. Izayoi's journey would not be as speedy. Her entourage - made up of twenty warriors, a baggage wagon and her palanquin - would take nearly a full cycle of the moon to travel from the chilly mountains to the warmer lowlands.

It was the evening of the twenty-eighth day; they would soon arrive at the Takase manor. This close to their destination, she could barely contain her impatience—

"_Hime_-_sama_." The sudden intrusion of a rumbling male voice jerked her out of her reverie. "A word with you, if you will permit."

Knowing who spoke, Izayoi felt her body go rigid and she felt the prickle of perspiration under her collar.

Beside her, Kuma stirred, roused from her dozing. The woman who had once been her nurse was middle-aged now, and brusquer than ever. Izayoi saw the scowl of disapproval knitting her brow and laid a hand on her knee to quiet her.

She glanced through the curtain, seeing her guard captain in profile. She had only looked him full in the face once but the image was etched in her mind; eyes, dark and sharp as a sword thrust above the red cheek-guards of his helmet. Mouth a hard, unforgiving line. Brows knitted in a habitual scowl.

A skilled fighter, a pessimistic fellow, wary and suspicious of everything. In her father's eyes, that made him eminently suitable for guarding his daughter. And so Matsumori had made him responsible for Izayoi's safety, and in turn gave her command of him and his men.

Surely her august father had not erred in doing this. Yet, it put her in an untenable position. The warrior was proud; she could tell that being commanded by a woman, even one of her stature, chaffed at his sense of dignity. Moreover, he was as an unbroken stallion, aggressive and intransigent, fighting her, attempting to bend her to his will.

Izayoi admitted, if only to herself, that he intimidated her. And yet, she could not yield to their battle for control; she was her father's daughter, the mirror of all his honor – and her own.

She steeled herself. "Takemaru," she acknowledged. Her tone was steady, rising in a note of faint inquiry, a subtle signal for him to speak.

"The _hime_'s instruction was to lighten the guard. This is unknown territory; I would advise greater caution." His phrasing was stilted, his manner stiff, as behooving one who would contest the orders of his lord's daughter.

She could – and should – chastise him for his audacity. Before she had worked up the nerve to do so, he added, "It may not be safe."

His words called to mind a painting that hung on the wall of Shinawaru-_dono_'s study. In light blues and yellows, a dog arched through the sky. It was pale and savage-looking, with bared fangs and baleful eyes. Clouds curled around its paws as if it stood upon them.

She had stood before it once while Amaya explained its significance.

"_Inu no Taisho is the _daiyoukai_ who brought peace to our land,"_ Amaya had said and Izayoi could still remember seeing her profile as she gazed at the painting. "_In my great grandfather's great grandfather's time, he laid down laws forbidding violence, laws to protect both humans and _youkai_. Anyone who broke the law faced his wrath. For a hundred years and more, we have lived in peace, _mai-chan_. We have live without fear."_

Izayoi recalled the sensation of unreality that had risen as she tried to fathom such a world as the one her cousin described. It had taken a while but in time, she had begun to understand and believe, and to lose some of the perpetual fear that haunted her.

"_Hime-sama_? Shall I double the guard?" Takemaru prompted none too gently.

"_Ii-e_," she said, injecting conviction into her staccato reply. There was a strained pause. "We are in the lands of the West now. No _youkai _will attack us." She drew on Amaya's remembered certitude, echoing it to the warrior: "It's safe."

He did not withdraw, nor did he speak, but maintained a stony presence beside the litter, the action loudly declaring his defiance.

Izayoi broke the impasse first before she thought better of it. "We will arrive at the manor before dark. The lands surrounding the manor would certainly be well guarded."

There was another tense moment before he bent his head and returned to his place at the head of the column.

Kuma huffed to indicate her opinion of the man and shut her eyes to resume her nap.

Izayoi rested her head against the padded back of her seat, gathering her scattered nerves and restoring her composure. Through the curtains, she watched the sunset paint the landscape gold and forced herself to think of something else.

She wondered what she missed in the last five years. She was sure Amaya would give her the full details.

She didn't realize she had dozed until Kuma woke her. "_Hime_-_sama_."

Izayoi opened her eyes.

The sun had set, leaving the inside of the palanquin filled with grey shadows. She heard a male voice raised in inquiry and Takemaru's swift answer. Then came the sound of a gate being unbarred and the creak of hinges as the heavy doors swung open.

"We have arrived," Kuma murmured unnecessarily.

Through the thin curtains of her palanquin, yellow torchlight flickered up ahead. Menservants bearing torches stood in front of the manor house, illuminating the group of people assembled there. Izayoi resisted the urge to lean forward and peer out, seeking familiar faces. Instead, she smoothed her robe, calming herself.

The litter halted and lowered.

Kuma rose first, then turned and bowed, helping Izayoi step out of the palanquin. The serving woman stepped back, bowing, as soon as Izayoi stood, pulling herself as straight and regal as she could.

She tried to pick out Amaya, but it was too dark. Takase Shinawaru bowed first, followed by his family and then the household. "Izayoi-_hime_. I'm glad you made the journey safely. I hope that the road was smooth and the way easy." His graying hair shone silver and gold in the yellow torchlight.

Izayoi bent her head, returning her uncle's ritual greeting. "I thank Shinawaru-_dono_ for his welcome and bear the greetings of my House. May I hope, in return, that all is well with you?"

The lord straightened. "The _hime_ is kind; it is well with us." Formalities observed, her uncle gestured to the manor. "We have tea, and some refreshments," he said in oblique invitation.

Izayoi gestured acceptance and Shinawaru-_dono_ turned to lead the way. An unfamiliar man turned with him, keeping pace one step behind at the lord's left shoulder.

Who was he, Izayoi wondered as she mounted the stairs with Kuma beside her. And where was Amaya? Speculation was drowned by nostalgia as she followed the two men through familiar corridors to the dining hall she knew well.

She knelt at the threshold, entering the room on her knees. As she made her way to the place already arranged for her, she spotted Amaya.

The sight of her cousin shocked Izayoi. Gone was the braid that used to hang down her back and the _tsukesage_; in its place was a heavy coil of dark hair at the nape of her neck and a more formal _irotomesode_. More striking than the physical differences were the less tangible ones; the set of Amaya's shoulders, her downcast face, her stillness and silence, spoke volumes of an inward change. It was so uncharacteristic that it sent a pang of fear through Izayoi.

Her eyes surreptitiously trained on Amaya, she seated herself, tweaking her heavy robes into order with practiced ease.

The stranger seated himself beside and slightly in front of Amaya and revelation collided with worry.

Amaya… married.

The thought provoked a flash of memory, of an earlier time, another room. Of Amaya, eyes flashing and face flushed. "Chichi-ue _is trying to marry me off, but I won't have it!_" Her voice was raw, harsh, as she told Izayoi vehemently, "_I'm not like my mother. _Haha-ue _is content to follow _chichi-ue_'s instructions and sew and take care of the house. I want to do so much _more"

Izayoi blinked away the sudden distraction, the remembered force of Amaya's emotions stirring her trepidation.

"_Hime-sama_," Shinawaru-_dono_ called her attention away from Amaya. He gestured to the strange man. "I make known to you Suotetsu no Yukio."

In the simple words, Izayoi read the intended meanings. Yukio retained his own name and so had not been accepted into the family yet. That meant that Amaya had not borne a child. The brevity of the introduction and the even tone of Shinawaru-_dono_'s voice spoke of a lack of warmth for his future son-in-law and successor.

Izayoi's apprehension escalated.

Her eyes drew back to Amaya. Was this drastic change in her cousin due to this man, her husband? Surely not. Surely he treated her well, Izayoi thought in rising distress.

And then she caught Amaya watching her through lowered eyelashes. Her older cousin's lips turned up in a smile although she kept her face modestly bowed.

The small, simple sign drained some of Izayoi's anxiety. She bent her head in acknowledgement to Yukio's bow and studied him.

He had a thin face, with a chin and nose that one might call pointed. The wrists that rested against the edge of his tray were bony, the fingers long. Izayoi would have thought him someone who brimmed with nervous energy. Yet, he had a languid air about him that could be read in the way he held himself and the way his eyelids drooped.

Izayoi caught a suspicious crinkle at the corners of his eyes and realized that she had been looking at him overly long. She quickly averted her gaze, feeling warmth creep up her neck.

A timely servant set a tray of light refreshments before her. She politely waited for everyone else to be served and her uncle to pick up his teacup before reaching for her own.

Her eye lighted on the woman seated demurely beside her uncle. Her mother's sister looked much the same as she had five years ago, save some silver in her hair and perhaps deeper lines around her eyes and mouth.

Takase no Rei looked up and their eyes met. The older lady smiled in quiet welcome and Izayoi felt an answering greeting tug at the corners of her lips.

She sampled the refreshments, carrying on light conversation with her uncle. Yukio contributed the occasional remark, but Amaya and Rei remained silent during this first 'formal' interaction. Izayoi longed to adjourn from this stilted audience but quelled her impatience.

When the refreshments had been consumed and formalities observed, Shinawaru-_dono_ brought the conversation to a point of polite withdrawal and Izayoi took her cue, excusing herself with the formalized phrases of departure.

She had been given her old room, the one from which she could watch the sun rise over the gardens. Her belongings had already been placed within and she sent Kuma to prepare a bath.

Alone in the room, Izayoi hesitated, then reached for her _obi_ herself rather than wait for her handmaid to attend to her. The heavy robes of her _junihitoe_, such a comfort in the East, were nearly suffocating in the heat of the West.

Hands grasped the edge of the garment as she slipped off the heavy brocade outer robe. Izayoi glanced behind her but instead of Kuma, she found Amaya's grinning face.

"With all this weighing you down, it's no wonder you're so tiny," she commented, and Izayoi felt a pang of nostalgia at those words.

She turned to face her cousin and bowed. Then she found herself pulled into a tight embrace, which she returned after a moment of hesitation.

"I have missed you," Amaya breathed before holding her at arm's length, smiling into her eyes.

"And I you," Izayoi returned, emotion suddenly clogging her throat. "Is all well with you, _juushi-san_?" she asked, letting some of her concern shade her voice.

Amaya's smile widened briefly to a grin. She did not pretend to misunderstand Izayoi's question. "It is indeed. Yukio is... tolerable."

There was droll humor in her tone that did more to reassure Izayoi than any eloquent declaration. She wanted to ask more, but Amaya spoke first.

"And what of you, _mai-chan_? Is your cough back?" And now it was Amaya's turn to be concerned.

Izayoi ducked her head. "Yes," she said quietly, choosing a simple understatement.

Amaya was still for a heartbeat, and then she tugged the next layer of Izayoi's _junihitoe_ off. "Well, then, we'd best get you clean and comfortable and to bed. I'll get Shinju to brew some of that herbal tea that seemed to help you before," she said briskly.

Kuma bustled into the room and saw the young Lady of the House helping her _hime _disrobe. She threw them a look of disapproval but past experience with Amaya's sharp tongue made her refrain from comment. Instead, she contented herself with picking up the discarded robes and assisting with the undressing.

Amaya walked with Izayoi to the bath and sat by the tub, regaling her with anecdotes while Kuma helped her wash off the travel dust.

When they returned to Izayoi's chambers, they found Shinju there, bearing a tray with a steaming cup. The maid bowed before speaking. "Rei-_sama _sends the tea with the hope that it will ease _hime-sama_'s discomfort." She straightened and inclined her torso slightly towards Amaya. "And Yukio-_sama_ wishes to know if his lady will rest soon, in deference to her delicate condition." Shinju's voice was bland, betraying no emotion as she delivered this message.

Izayoi sent her cousin a startled look of inquiry.

Amaya turned from glowering at her maid to give Izayoi a rueful little shrug and a nod, confirming the news.

Izayoi felt her lips part and her eyes fell to Amaya's slim torso. There was no visible sign of the life growing within. "Oh, _juushi-san_!" Izayoi impulsively clasped Amaya's hands. "That's wonderful!"

The older cousin glowed with happiness, just a little.

Kuma took the tray from Shinju, and Izayoi released Amaya's fingers with a squeeze. "Wonderful," she echoed. "And Yukio is right; it's getting late and you should rest." She thought briefly to chide the mother-to-be for not telling her earlier.

Amaya looked about to retort, then seemed to change her mind. She gestured again, an action between a shrug and a nod. "And you. We'll talk some more in the morning," she promised.

Izayoi bowed in acquiescence.

Amaya uncharacteristically executed an answering bow. "_Oyasuminasai_." She left, padding down the hall with Shinju trailing behind.

- - -

Izayoi woke with a start and lay still. It took her a moment to recall where she was and the knowledge made her relax into her _tatami_, relishing the moment.

She sat up and inhaled, happily noting that her breath did not hitch or rattle; the herbal tea had helped. She must remember to thank Rei-_sama _for it later.

Izayoi glanced to her left; Kuma was still fast asleep.

Quietly, Izayoi rose and straightened her _yukata_. On her knees, she went to the screen that opened to the garden and eased it open, using careful application of pressure to keep it from making a noise. Casting a backward glance at the slumbering Kuma, she slipped through the opening and stood on the platform that opened to the garden.

The sky was lightening to a rosy glow. The heavy coil of her sleeping braid hung over her shoulder and Izayoi absently played with the end of it as she watched the first rays of the day gild the garden. She enjoyed the quiet, reclaiming that sense of security that she had gained five years ago, a security she had left behind when she returned to her father's palace. In the East, there was never a time when she could be completely alone, unattended, unguarded. It was not safe. Until she had come West, she had never known the luxury of solitude.

Birds were wakening, their song a sweet counterpoint to the play of light.

Izayoi crossed the platform to sit, dangling her bare feet off the edge of the polished boards. Not far in front of her, shrubs lined a path that wound through the garden. Sunlight reflected off wavelets of the little stream that ran in the heart of the garden, flowing into the pond on the other side of the mansion. She could picture the pond in her mind; deep green water and moss-covered rocks and thick grass running up the slope of its banks. It had been a favorite place of hers in the evenings. She would often sit playing her _sou_, eschewing the pavilion in favor of the grass, much to Kuma's disapproval.

She smiled faintly at the memory, then the sound of a step from the garden path made her turn. Amaya, perhaps; her cousin knew her habit of watching the sunrise.

The armored warrior froze to a stiff halt at the same moment Izayoi saw him.

He straightened his stance in greeting. "_Hime-sama_," came the rough voice she recognized.

"Takemaru," she acknowledged. Aware of how she must look, bare feet dangling and attired for sleep, Izayoi had the urge to scramble upright and muster what little dignity she could. To do so, however, would betray her chagrin, something she would not do before the warrior.

Instead, she schooled her manner to serenity. "Are the men well?"

"_Hai._"

The curt response bordered rudeness. Silence stretched between them uncomfortably and, this time, Izayoi let it.

"_Hime-sama_," Takemaru ground out finally. "What do you require of us?"

Izayoi turned her gaze to the rising sun. "You are free to rest and train. Defer to Shinawaru-_dono_'s captain," she said.

"Shall I have a guard accompany you?" His tone told her that he already knew her answer but wanted to hear otherwise.

"That will not be necessary, Takemaru."

Another stiff silence ensued. Izayoi kept her attention on the horizon. There was a sharp clatter of armor as he gave his abrupt salute and left. She waited until he was gone, then looked down at the hands she folded in her lap. The sun had risen above the snow-capped peaks of the _Akashi-sanmyaku_, the southern mountains.

Her quiet reverie had been shattered beyond hope of recovery. She rose and entered the room to find the _tatami_s folded away neatly. Kuma had a faint scowl on her face but said nothing, motioning Izayoi forward. Her former nurse took away the _yukata _and held up a _tsukesage_. When the _obi _had been tied, Izayoi knelt and Kuma combed out her hair.

Just as Kuma was putting away her comb, Amaya arrived with two servants bearing breakfast trays. "Did you sleep well, _mai-chan_?" she inquired.

Izayoi bowed. "Very well, _juushi-san_, thank you for asking."

Amaya's smile turned lopsided at her formality. The servants left and she took her seat before one of the trays.

Izayoi nodded to Kuma and the maid left to break her own fast.

Both cousins sipped their hot tea, and then Izayoi broached the subject she was most curious about. "Tell me about Yukio."

"What would you like to know?" Amaya asked, setting down her teacup.

"Hm." Izayoi shrugged. While she was curious, she did not wish to pry. "What is he like?" she asked tentatively.

Amaya pursed her lips. "He's clever – but don't tell him I said that – and he's lazy."

Izayoi stilled in shock at the blunt description but Amaya was going on.

"A while after you left, I made _chichi-ue_ agree that I would only marry a man who could best me in wits." She laughed softly at Izayoi's expression at her gall. Flicking her fingers in a dismissive fashion, she went on, "For years, no man was able to do so. Then a year ago, _chichi-ue_ lost his patience and asked Hiroshi-sama, the _nakodo,_ to send suitable candidates. The matchmaker said that there was one person he had in mind, but he doubted _chichi-ue_ would allow it." Amaya smirked. "_Chichi-ue _did something then that he now regrets; he swore that if the candidate Hiroshi named could pass my trial, he would be accepted. Yukio arrived the next day..." Amaya trailed off.

Izayoi lifted her teacup to her lips, subtly prompting her to go on.

"He's very clever when he wants to be." Amaya said blandly. "Unfortunately for _chichi-ue_, he has no desire to govern the House."

Izayoi stared, lips parting.

Amaya smiled, clearly enjoying the response she was evoking. "Which is just perfect, don't you think?"

"How so?" Izayoi asked cautiously after a moment. She put her cup down and folded her hands in her lap.

"Because then _I_ can." Amaya picked up her chopsticks and nibbled a bit of pickled vegetable. "Yukio and I talked it over and we agreed; I will manage affairs and he will... idle his days away."

Izayoi stared at her teacup, trying to absorb this bizarre turn of events. "_Otooji-sama _is aware of this?"

"Somewhat. He knows that I'm running the affairs of the House although he's of the impression that I do so under Yukio's instructions."

"And he accepts this?"

Amaya grinned. "He has no choice; he swore to the _nakodo _that he would accept the candidate."

"_Ah-so_."

Unconventional. Amaya had not changed at all. If anything, she was even more unorthodox than before. Izayoi stirred her _miso_ soup and sipped. "Are you happy?" she asked, finally.

Amaya's eyes locked with hers. "I am."

Izayoi set down the bowl. "Then I'm glad."

"_Arigato._" Amaya set down her chopsticks and bowed her head, a gesture that struck Izayoi as unlike her. Perhaps Amaya had changed without even being aware of it.

"What would you like to do today?" Amaya asked, resuming her meal.

Izayoi picked up a morsel of pickled vegetables. "I haven't any plans in particular," she temporized. "What of you?"

"I thought we might go into town." Amaya speared a piece of tofu.

Izayoi hesitated. She had never been into town before and she was not sure she particularly wanted to enter such an unfamiliar environment. "What's in town?" she asked.

"Hm... merchants, for the most part," Amaya said off-handedly. The casual air slipped when she threw Izayoi a look that told the younger woman she read the reluctance and was not fooled.

Izayoi sighed but felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards. When Amaya had her heart set on something, it was often easier to be swept along than to resist. "I had looked forward to a quiet chat," she commented nonchalantly by way of registering her protest.

"We'll have plenty of time to chat," Amaya assured breezily, picking up another piece of tofu.

She left with the breakfast trays. When Kuma returned, she had apparently been informed of the day's outing. She opened a trunk containing Izayoi's _junihitoe_ but a soft word from the _hime_ forestalled her.

"_Hime-sama_ cannot go out without—" she began, swiveling her head to look at Izayoi. The level look she received interrupted her protest.

"_Ii-e_, I shall go attired the same way as Amaya-_sama_," she said. She wished to blend in and become inconspicuous, not draw attention to herself. "You may change my _obi_," she added by way of compromise and closing the topic. She raised her arms to allow Kuma to fasten a heavily embroidered _maru_ _obi _around her waist. It was a bit too formal for a day in the town, but Kuma's knitted brows spoke of intractability.

The older woman brushed her hair and then Izayoi led the way to the entrance of the mansion. In the courtyard, they found Amaya already standing there with... a surprise.

Instead of two palanquins, a large ox-drawn carriage stood ready to bear the women into town. Six menservants in house uniform were busily hitching the brown ox to the yoke.

While Izayoi liked that she and Kuma could ride with Amaya and Shinju, she also felt that the choice boded ill as an indication of the number of purchases Amaya anticipated.

She went to join her cousin, returning Yukio's courteous greeting. The man stood to one side, watching as his wife-to-be was assisted into the seating compartment. Izayoi waited her turn to be helped up.

"_Hime-sama_."

The clatter of armor and the abrupt hail made Izayoi stiffen. Beside her, Kuma huffed. Izayoi turned slowly, bracing herself for a disagreement. Conscious that all eyes were focused on her now, she tipped her head up to look at him, feeling her expression close. "Takemaru?"

"Does the _hime_ require an escort?" His tone was barbed, his words more demand than question. His eyes, framed by the red helm of her House, bore into her. He lowered his voice but there was an edge to it that skirted insolence. "Matsumori-_dono_ charged me with the guarding your safety."

_Let me do my duty._ The words hung heavily between them, unsaid but not unheard.

She gave him a sidelong look, weighing her actions. If she denied him and something should happen to her, it would mean his life. Yet, to reverse her decision would be to weaken her authority.

Izayoi thought about the possible repercussions of her choices and almost acquiesced. No one else would know that she had told him to stand down that morning. And while an easy agreement now would only make the next battle harder, perhaps a bitter fight later was preferable to the consequence of a threat to their excursion—

And then, over her guard captain's shoulder, Izayoi caught sight of Yukio studying their interaction with sharp interest. "No, Takemaru. That will not be necessary." She started to turn away in clear dismissal.

She heard a rapid step behind her, the creak of leather and metal.

"Peace, warrior," Yukio spoke up suddenly, his tone easygoing. "No one could care for Izayoi-_hime_'s well-being more than the House of Takase. Amaya-_sama_ has already arranged for an escort. I'm sure she and _hime-sama_ will be safe."

Izayoi threw back a startled look but recovered quickly. "It would be disrespectful to add my own guards, as if I do not trust her to keep me safe," she seconded, following his lead.

Her guard captain hesitated for a heartbeat then executed a stiff bow, his face a hard mask.

Izayoi allowed the waiting servant to help her mount the carriage and entered the seating compartment.

Amaya was watching her avidly while she seated herself. "Your guard captain is most dedicated," she remarked.

"He is," Izayoi agreed noncommittally, avoiding Amaya's prying eyes.

Thankfully, the thread of conversation was lost with the arrival of Kuma. The middle-aged lady huffed ungraciously and collapsed into the seat beside Izayoi. The carriage began moving before she had caught her breath.

- _-_ -

I know I used quite a number of Japanese terms. Hope that wasn't too technical for you. grin I like incorporating historical details into the story; hopefully, you'll find it as interesting as I do. This is a fairly mellow start to the story, especially compared to the previous version of my prologue but I hope you like it as much as I do.

For those who are thinking, 'where is Inupapa!', don't worry; Chapter 2 is all about him.

**Thank you for reading!** Questions? Thoughts? Any feedback would be cherish and adored! For those with a FFN account, don't forget to log in so I can reply to your comment!

**Glossary**  
_Akashi-sanmyaku_ - Southern Mountains of Japanese Alps  
_arigatou_ - Thank you  
_-chan_ - Casual term appended to name to signify familiarity and closeness  
_chichi-ue_ - Father, possessive/personal, respectful. Literally 'my father, above me'.  
_daiyoukai _- Great demon  
_-dono_ - Title/honorific, means "lord"  
_haha-ue _- Mother, possessive/personal, respectful. Literally 'my mother, above me'.  
_hai _- Yes  
_hime _- Princess / lady  
_ii-e _- Literally, 'no', but connotative can mean 'say nothing of it'  
_inu no taisho _– Inupapa's title, not to be mistaken for his name. Literally 'Dog General'  
_junihitoe_ - Formal ladies' court garb made up of 8 - 20 layers of robes. Literally "12-robes"  
_juushi _- Older cousin sister. Added a -san for a slightly more formal mode of address  
_Kiso-sanmyaku _- Central Mountains of Japanese Alps  
_mai _– Literally 'younger sister'. Shortened from _juumai_, meaning younger cousin sister.  
_maru obi _- The most elaborate and formal type of obi  
_nakodo _- Matchmaker  
_obi _- Sash that fastens around the waist of the kimono  
_otooji _- Uncle  
_oyasuminasai _- Good night  
_-sama _- Title/honorific, generic  
_-san _- Most generic title for people  
_sou _- 13-stringed _koto_ or Japanese harp  
_tatami _- Sleeping or sitting mat.  
_tsukesage _- Kimono with modest patterns worn by unmarried women, somewhat casual  
_yukata _- Light robe, very informal 


	3. Verse 2: Souunga

**Title:** _Tsuki no Aika_ (Lament of the Moon)  
**Summary:** The tale of the love between the _daiyoukai _of the West and a _hime _from the East.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its elements. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Note**/-This-/ denotes mindspeech.

_Much gratitude to **eleia** and **quietharm **for beta-reads and feedback.  
Also thanks to you wonderful **readers** who left me comments. This is for you!_

-  
- **_Two_** -  
-

The creature had been spotted at moonrise.

The owls had moved to turn it away, an attempt that cost them the lives of two young ones. Kaida, who was the fleetest, had been dispatched to sound the alarm and seek aid.

She found him near dawn, sprawled on a branch. He had answered her call, dropping to the forest floor as lightly as one winged. Eyes burning with tightly-contained grief and anger, the young owl spirit related her news, barely aware of his son coming to stand beside him. He nodded, saying nothing, and she sped off in feathered form, leading the way to where her folk kept cautious watch over the intruder.

It was standing on the bare crest of a hill, a beacon of _youki_. Malevolent red eyes surveyed the land and ragged clothes hung from its gaunt frame, fluttering in the early morning breeze. In sharp contrast to the tattered appearance, the long silver sword in the creature's hand caught the light.

Two bright spheres shot ahead of Kaida. With a harsh hoot, she veered off, correctly interpreting the sign of dismissal. Taking their cue from her, the rest of her kin took wing and, together, they returned to their holt. They were tired and hungry... and they had their fallen to tend to.

Touga alighted within the stand of trees just below the summit of the hill, shielding himself in that vulnerable moment of transformation. Immediately after he had resumed his two-legged form, he stepped out into the open and faced the creature.

Wind brought him the other's scent and Touga frowned; if it was a _youkai _he faced, it was one that had been dead for a while, judging from the smell of decay it carried. A golem, then. But what did it want—

And then he caught another scent, mingled with the first: owls' blood. Fury stirred within him. "You trespass," he said, challenge clear in the curt words. "And for the lives you have taken, I will exact retribution."

Lifting his right hand, he held out two fingers and formed his _ki_ into a whip. The glowing blue line snaked out, slicing deep into the golem's flesh. Ichor oozed out of the gash, green and pungent, yet the creature showed no reaction.

Touga's scowl deepened and the twin questions assailed him: _Would I kill an unresisting opponent? _and _Why is this killer passive now?_

And then the creature _moved_.

It was fast, going from motionless to a blur of grey skin and flashing blade in less time than it took to blink.

Touga lashed out with his energy whip again, parrying the golem's downstroke. Gaining the bare moment he needed, the _inu daiyoukai _leapt aside, giving himself room to draw his sword. He took a fighting stance, eyes fixed on his opponent with new intensity.

Dilemma solved: good.

The undead turned to him, red eyes blazing. The round jewel at the sword's pommel glowed, echoing that lurid light.

He took the initiative this time. Feinting right, he shifted the grip of his sword so that the edge of the blade faced outward and lunged directly at the creature. One swipe was all he needed to behead the intruder and end this.

But instead of slicing cleanly through its neck, the _inugami_'s blade met the silver sword.

To his battle-heightened awareness, the moment of contact stretched to seconds. He heard the slide of metal against metal, the sound grating at his ears.

And then, just as he was past the golem, just as the contact disengaged, his blade shattered in a violent burst. Shards of metal cut through the air; Touga felt the trickle of spilled blood on one cheek following the passage of a fragment.

He executed a flip, putting more space between him and his opponent. Casting aside the useless hilt, his brows knit and he studied the creature. It was not as simple-minded as it looked.

_And what had it done to his sword?_

There came a wheezing sound; the creature laughed.

/-Such a base blade is no match for I, Souunga,-/ tolled a voice of rough malice.

_Souunga. _

The golem's lips had not moved.

Touga's brow smoothed with understanding; it was the sword. The sword bore a spirit that was controlling its bearer, granting it skills and abilities beyond its natural capability. The _youki _he sensed... it was from that _thing_.

The new knowledge changed nothing; he still had only to remove the creature. Without a host, the blade would be powerless.

For the third time that morning, he released his energy whip. It looped around the golem's body, the tip coiling tight around the creature's ankle, imprisoning it against any escape. A simple tightening of his _ki_ would rip that unliving body apart. He _pulled_—

But the creature was gone, save the ankle and foot that had been trapped. Those were torn to pieces, spewing ichor and the sickly sweet smell of decomposing flesh.

The only direction the golem could have gone to save itself was _up_. Touga threw back his head and searched the skies.

It was directly above him and diving, sword outthrust.

The Inu no Taisho sprung away, taking to the air. His whip wrapped around the tip of the sword and he wrenched, pulling short the golem's downward strike. When the creature righted itself and faced him, Touga saw it had indeed sacrificed its ankle and foot to free itself. Ichor dripped sluggishly from the stump.

They faced off, hovering above the bare crest of the hill, the topmost branches of trees far below their feet.

The golem charged him, arrowing through the air. The sword, raised to attack, rippled with _youki_.

He backed away, flicking the whip to thrust aside the gleaming edge. "_Sankon Tetsusou!_" He swiped the air. His claws traced lines of light that sliced everything in its path. The undead puppet blocked two with the blade, but the other three struck; one sliced its arm, another bit deep into its forehead, bisecting its skull.

The last severed its sword arm at the shoulder. The severed limb still clutched the _youkai_ blade and remained in mid-air as the wasted body fell to the ground.

Faced with the true culprit of the transgression, the _inu daiyoukai_ narrowed his eyes and lifted his fingers to his face. The cut on his cheek had closed but there was still blood on his skin. He ran his claws through the drying patch.

With scarlet-stained claws, he drew his hand back to unleash a second attack. "_Hijin Ketsusou!_" Bright red crescents spun end over end, finding their mark on the long silver sword. Each detonated, but left no visible damage on the blade.

The mocking laughter rose as the sound of explosions faded. /-Did you think so simple an attack would destroy me? I am the Power of a dragon!-/

Touga shot back, "And what is the use of such power if one is an inanimate blade?"

/-I am of ... _much _use to my bearer.-/ There was an ominous pause that rung with things unsaid. /-Despite the paltry fighting, you are powerful,-/ Souunga said, sounding almost thoughtful. /-Claim me and together we will be great.-/ As if in invitation, the limb of the golem fell away, leaving the sword in the air. The jewel in its pommel dulled to lackluster white. /-Take hold of me and you shall have all my power.-/

A crow flew by overhead and suddenly Touga was no longer alone. "_Oyakata-sama!_" the flea called excitedly from his shoulder.

"Myouga," the _inu daiyoukai_ answered. His tone clearly indicated that he did not wish to be disturbed at this time.

"_Oyakata-sama_, do not touch that blade. It will seek to possess you as it possessed its previous bearer!" the flea urged.

Touga paused. He had thought his chief advisor oblivious to the ongoing battle, but clearly he was not. "And how do you know this?" Touga asked.

There was silence that told Touga that Myouga spoke on a hunch. "Well, I received news of… that is, there were rumors... It was a logical deduction," the flea concluded with a defeated air.

Still, he trusted Myouga's instincts: in addition to carrying a wealth of knowledge, the flea had a good nose for smelling out danger.

/-He speaks true. I have bent other bearers to my will before, those who were weak and powerless.-/ The derision in the sword's tone was clear. That edge of malice crept back in as the sword abruptly reversed its earlier tact. /-Human, _youkai_, men and women, young and old, all have fallen before me. Would you care to test yourself against my will?-/ The challenge, issued with such disparagement, was artful.

_It _wants _me to take it in hand_, Touga realized. _I smell a trap._

And yet, he was had to dispel the threat of this sword from his lands. He could not very well leave it the way it was; it would only find some other unfortunate to bear it. He could not seem to destroy it; to protect his territory and its inhabitants, he would have to seal the sword's power to keep it from doing harm.

He heard Myouga's faint, imploring call as he slowly stretched his hand towards the sword in silent command.

/-Are you certain, _inugami_? Would you pit your will against that of a dragon?-/

He did not deign to reply, simply waited.

The blade glided over to him, hilt first. It did not fall directly into his hand but stopped within reach, leaving the culmination to Touga.

Every nerve alert, he grasped the blade.

Emotions crashed in on him, as unforgiving as a tsunami. Anger and caprice and malignance and hatred. And within them was a philosophy – a belief – that insidiously whispered.

_Every single living thing in this world, with their pitiable joys and sorrows and blessings and worries, all were not meant to be here._

Distantly, he noted Myouga springing away. The flea never stayed with him when there was danger. Which meant—

_Everything living was created only to die. They belonged to the underworld and he, Souunga, would claim them for their true home._

He did not remember moving but found himself holding the sword two-handed, his fingers fitting along the long hilt. Reacting to the maelstrom of emotions within, his lips skinned back, and he growled low in his throat.

_And so he would kill and kill and kill again and when every living thing was no more, he would unleash the dead..._

/-You are indeed powerful... Touga.-/ The caustic triumph in the sword's words made him rear back. He felt it prowling his mind, a slithering darkness, knowing him. Against his will, he felt his _youki _swell.

_...andtheworldofthelivingandtheworldofthedeadwouldbecomeoneandthesameandtherewouldbenodifferenceinbetweenthetwoand..._

Of their own volition his hands lifted the sword high above his head, tip pointing heavenward. In his being, he felt a searing elation not his own. The sword descended, carving a bright arch through the air. /-Yes. It is fitting. The dragon king and his hound. Together.-/

_...they would rule over all. _

_No._ The denial resounded in his mind. He heard a howl and the realized that it was torn from his own throat. He lost his balance, then realized that he was falling. He hit the ground, the physical sensation shocking him back to some semblance of control, only that he still held the damnable sword. _Drop it_, he thought but his fingers would not listen.

He struggled to his feet. "No," he growled at the blade in his hand. "I will not be governed by you and your dishonorable ambitions." His wrested control of his _youki_ back to himself, shrouding the blade's powers with his own, penning it. "In you prying, you failed to understand that _I do not rule; _I only protect."

/-Foolish cur, I—-/

The Inu no Taisho hardened his will and _pushed_. The rest of the sword's sneering was smothered beneath the implacable barrier of the _inugami_'s _youki_.

The silence, as they say, was deafening.

He stood there for a long moment, staring at the blade, letting his battle instincts slow. Scent and sound alerted him of his son's approach. More telling was the resumed presence of Myouga on his _sode_.

There was a contemplative pause.

"What now, _Oyakata-sama_?" Myouga asked.

"I don't think this is the end of it," Touga murmured. "Souunga will continue to fight me."

"Souunga?"

"So it called itself. Didn't you hear?"

The flea shook his head and a glance over his shoulder told Touga that Sesshoumaru had not heard anything either.

"Ah. Interesting." He lifted an eyebrow in an expression of irony, then glanced down at the blade. "It – he – claimed to be the power of a dragon. I suppose he could be a dragon spirit trapped in a blade. Perhaps the swordsmith can tell us more."

Myouga bowed in agreement; the lack of commentary told Touga that his advisor had no information for him.

He started in the direction of the clan home, then stopped short, finally noticing his surroundings.

"I did not do this," he said flatly, eyeing the line of charred trees and riven earth that cut straight through the woods to the valley below.

"It was the sword, _chichi-ue_," Sesshoumaru confirmed. He flicked only a cursory glance at the weapon but Touga was not fooled at his show of disinterest. "It would seem that it is indeed powerful."

The _inu daiyoukai_ made a noncommittal sound. In that direction lay the owls' holt... the foxes' dens… the wolves' cliffs. "Myouga."

"_Hai_."

"I want a report on the damage," he said curtly.

"_Wakata_," the flea replied, bowing in acquiescence. He left to do as he had been instructed.

Grim, Touga set off in search for the swordsmith. He walked, not wishing to transform while bearing the cursed sword. At another time, he would have savored the serenity of the forest around him, dark and slightly damp, filled with the muted sounds of life. This very peace was what he fought for, warding off enemy after powerful enemy, preserving the safety of the land and freedom for its inhabitants.

Today, that peace had been threatened yet again.

The clan house sprawled on an incline. It was made up of several standalone huts with a larger structure in the middle. The architecture had been counted as grand in the past but these days it paled beside the ostentation of the Emperor's palace in the East, and the dwelling of some human lords.

Still it was a far, far cry from the nomadic way of life that had been his before the war against the _Hyounekozoku_. If it had been up to him, Touga would still have been wandering rootless and sleeping beneath the naked sky. Mitsuko, his wife, had deemed it appropriate for a great warlord to have a large house. "_Room enough for your followers_," she whispered in his memory. He had wanted neither house nor vassals but had had little choice in both.

When his son was born, he had been in no frame of mind to pay attention to the household. In fact, he had left it behind, returning to his wandering ways, burying pain and anger in solitary tracks through the land. When he returned, it had just taken less effort to let the house run on its own, which it seemed to do well enough.

Toutousai had claimed one of the furthest lying huts, one that gave him easy access to cold water from the spring, one where he could work in undisturbed.

Crossing the threshold, Touga paused to let his eyes adjust to the difference in light. The room was less than immaculate, as usual, with odds and ends of swords scattered on just about every other available surface. A half-eaten meal on a tray shared table space with bits of metal and some tools. The smell of smoke permeated the room.

Sesshoumaru halted just behind him, radiating distaste.

There was no sign of the smith.

"Toutousai," Touga called out. "I need a sword."

"What happened to that beauty I made you?" came the immediate question and then the fire _youkai_ stood before him, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He dropped a perfunctory bow, an automatic gesture rather than a proper greeting; his attention was focused on what had befallen his precious weapon.

"The blade shattered," Touga said shortly. He stepped to the table, pushing aside the debris on the table. In the empty space created, he laid the dragon blade.

"Shattered? How can a blade like that shatter?" Toutousai was fast losing his modicum of composure to frustration and artistic outrage, failing to notice his _oyakata_'s terse manner. "What did you do to it?"

"Nothing," he answered, looking down at the silver sword.

The smith came to face him across the table. "Nothing?" he demanded. "A blade forged by Toutousai does not shatter at _nothing_! Did you—"

He cut himself off, finally noticing the blade on his table. Toutousai stared.

Into the silence, Touga said, "I did nothing. My sword shattered when it came into contact with this blade."

"Where did you get that?" asked the smith in an awed whisper.

Touga eyed. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a work of art," the recently enraged smith breathed, transfixed. He reached for the sword.

Touga tensed. His _youki_ still coiled around the blade, keeping the dragon powers leashed within and he was loath to let others touch the sword. But when the smith's knobby fingers closed around the hilt, the barrier held. Touga relaxed minutely.

"What can you tell me about this blade?" he queried.

With his free hand, Toutousai scratched his bald pate.

The light in his eyes was fading to curiosity. Picking it up, he turned the sword this way and that, looking for hints to the its origin.

"Hm..." he mumbled meditatively, studying the temper of the blade. "Mm…," he went on, squinting at the negligible cross-guard, the long unadorned hilt, the curve of metal and crystal at the pommel.

"Well?" Touga prodded.

The fire _youkai _gently set the blade back down on his work table. "This is unlike anything I have seen before, _Oyakata-sama_," he admitted. "I can't tell you who made it or where it came from. I can only tell you it was indeed made from a dragon's tooth."

Touga heard the soft sound of derision from behind him but ignored his son's reaction. "What about blades that bear a malign soul? Or blades that possess their bearers?" he pressed.

"Mm, yes, now that you mention it." Toutousai crossed his arms, a scowl pinching his usually open face. "Kaijinbou forged the Blade of Heaven and Earth from a hundred _youkai_. That much _youki_ in one weapon made it able to overwhelm its bearer."

Touga paused to see if Toutousai would draw out the relevant point on his own. When the smith did not, he prompted, "What happened to the sword?"

"Ah, well, to that end, I have only rumor. It is said that a _miko_ took the blade from its former owner and sealed it away."

"Then it _can_ be sealed," Touga latched onto the salient conclusion.

"Just so. Perhaps the Inu no Taisho's _Fuuyin no Kiba_ would do the trick," he added thoughtfully.

Since the smith was a plainspoken man and not given to flattery, Touga could only conclude that he spoke in earnest. "Are you," he asked with a narrow-eyed look, "Suggesting that I _bite_ this sword?"

"Hm, no," Toutousai said, so lost in thought that he missed his _oyakata_'s irony. "You'd have to leave the fang _in_ to complete the sealing and I don't see any way you could bit through a blade made of a dragon's tooth."

"Neither do I," Touga agreed dryly. "I will seek a _miko_. Or a priest," he said, knowing precisely who to ask for a recommendation. Out of habit, his right hand brushed the hilt of his sword and when he touched thin air. "Meanwhile," he said by way of parting, "I really do need a new sword."

"What's wrong with this one?" The swordsmith nodded to the silver sword on the table, seeming genuinely puzzled at the question.

Knowing the threat that Souunga presented, the smith's obtuseness vexed Touga. He glared at Toutousai, who froze defensively.

"That blade holds a malign spirit that would destroy this world if it is allowed free rein," he ground out. "While it is quiescent within my barrier now, I will not risk the safety of the entire land to my own strength; I am no all-powerful god to be ever vigilant." He leaned forward, bracing his fists on the table to emphasize his point. "Never doubt that there will come a time when I will not be able to contain it and then the world of the living will come to an end. For the protection of everything we know, I intend to see it sealed in the deepest regions of the underworld, where it belongs."

"I will, of course, be happy to forge a new blade for the Inu no Taisho," the fire _youkai_ stuttered. "However, until the sword is sealed, _oyakata-sama_ will have to keep it with you to maintain the barrier."

It was true. Much as Touga would have liked to disagree with that point, it was true. He scowled.

Reading reluctant agreement in the glower, Toutousai lost his caution. "You can use it. As long as you don't get possessed, it'll be fine." He studied the sword, pretending not to hear the _inu daiyoukai_'s growl. "It's too long to hang from your _obi_; you'll have to wear it on your back," he said judiciously. "Let me find you a sheath."

- _-_ -

I promised an Inupapa chapter and here it is. Hope you liked it!

**Thank you for reading! I want to hear from _you_! **Questions? Thoughts? Feedback would be pored over and read over and over!  
For those with a FFN account, don't forget to log in so I can reply to your comment!

**Notes  
**1. I gave Sessmom a name: Mitsuko. It's not canon.  
2. I gave Inupapa a new attack. That, too, is not canon.  
3. I am calling Inupapa '_Touga_' by name, '_Inu no Taisho_' as a title. The former is not canon, the latter only canon for anime.  
4. For the record, the _inu youkai_ do not have a house; they are nomadic.

**Glossary**  
_chichi-ue_ - Father, possessive/personal  
_daiyoukai_ - Greater youkai. Literally 'big / great youkai'.  
_Fuuyin no Kiba_ - "Fang of Sealing" - attack used to seal powerful enemies when no means of destroying them can be found. (Non canon)  
_Hijin Ketsusou_ - "Blades of Blood" - combine Sankon Tetsusou with own blood to form red crescent blades that can be thrown from afar.  
_Hyounekozoku_ - Panther youkai tribe that fought Inu no Taisho. It was in driving them out that he earned the title of Inu no Taisho.  
_inu_ - Dog  
_inu no taisho_ - "Dog General"  
_inugami_ - Dog spirit of Japanese myth.  
_ki_ - A "life force" or "spiritual energy" that is part of everything that exists and sustains living beings (based on belief systems in Asia).  
_miko_ - Shrine maiden of Shinto belief, not to be confused with priestess.  
_oyakata_ - Clan leader  
_Sankon Tetsusou_ - "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer" - basic claw attack that is powerful enough to tear apart enemies.  
_sode_ - shoulder and arm guards that are attached to the _dô_ (cuirass) via the _watagami_ (breastplate shoulder straps).  
_wakata_ - "I know", "I understand", "I got it"  
_youkai_ - Creatures in Japanese folklore. Some possess part animal and part human features. Generally have a sort of spiritual or supernatural power.  
_youki_ - A _youkai_'s power / energy


	4. Verse 3: Nakodo

**Title:** _Tsuki no Aika_ (Lament of the Moon)  
**Summary:** The tale of the love between the daiyoukai of the West and a hime from the East.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its elements. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Note: **Based on feedback from **Lou**, I'm going to give a try to _not_ italicizing Japanese terms. This style's on trial since I am of the school of thought that foreign terms should be indicated as such. I would like to hear what you think of change – to keep or not to keep. **  
**

_Thanks to **Lady Eve**, **Minako Miharu**, **Lou**, and **Lady Izayoi** for your reviews. Hope you like this chapter!  
And many, many thanks to **Eleia** for taking time from her busy schedule to beta-read and give me such concrete feedback. This chapter would not have been nearly as good without her help!  
Thoughts go out to **Quietharm**. Hope things are going well with you, hon. Catch up with you soon!_

-  
- **_Three_** -  
-

She gave fervent thanks that she had not let Kuma garb her in the junihitoe.

The town was filled with people from many stations of life, from the most menial laborer to wealthy merchants and distinguished artisans, but she saw no nobility beside herself and Amaya. Had she been formally attired, she would have been painfully out of place, the only one in court garb. As it was, her maru obi had drawn more than one surreptitious glance, which she pretended not to notice. Moreover, in the cumbersome robes, she would have been hard-pressed to keep up with Amaya as her cousin flitted from one place to another.

They had gone through one stall selling sweets, another selling fine porcelain, and then a scribe's nook and had finally arrived at a clothier.

"Hime-sama, what do you think of this one?" Kuma held up yet another bolt of fine silk for her consideration.

Izayoi nodded ever so slightly, eyes flitting to the hovering attendant. Her handmaid seemed intent on making her buy something and her continued prompting made things increasingly awkward.

Amaya was standing just inside the threshold of the store, chatting amiably with the proprietor. Izayoi shifted so that she could watch them. One of the menservants was hovering unobtrusively with ink and parchment, attentive to every word.

"Yes, the new arrangements have opened up many possibilities that we never could have considered before. Yukio-sama is a most visionary young man to have thought up this idea." The merchant was effusive.

Amaya nodded and smiled but there was something in her posture that Izayoi thought might be strain. The older cousin murmured something demure and then raised her voice slightly. "Would Washi-san care to explore further trade expansions into the East then?"

The cloth merchant bobbed his stately grey head. "Most certainly, honorable lady. This modest merchant would be most grateful if Yukio-sama would bestow such knowledge upon him."

The Amaya of five years ago would have made a face at such flowery words. The Amaya of that day merely nodded as the servant made a notation, and then the older cousin joined Izayoi in perusing the store's goods.

They left with three bolts of cloth and proceeded up the street. Geta clip-clopped merrily against the paving of the roads. The sound was oddly loud in Izayoi's ears without the muffling of trailing hems.

Two doors away, a couple stepped out of a shop and onto the cobblestone pavement. Hair of burnished copper and pale gold caught Izayoi's attention. The couple, laughing in a carefree manner, started down the street in her direction. And then she caught sight of their delicately pointed, lobeless ears.

_Youkai. _

She had only been five when youkai had breached the outer defenses of her father's palace, but the terror of that day rang suddenly in her mind. Huddled in a corner, bewildered and forlorn, she had watched servants stampede through the once-tranquil halls of her home. She never saw the source of the chaos for Kuma found her and swept her away to safety before the creatures entered the palace.

Watching the two bright-haired figures approaching her, Izayoi recalled the words of her childhood teacher with more clarity than she had in years.

"_Youkai are the scourge of humanity. They attack humans, destroying homes, pillaging fields, thieving and killing_," Mikage-sensei had told her. "_They are a force of chaos, with no reason and no honor._"

Fear curled up her throat, stealing her breath, fouling her feeble attempt to hold onto her calm.

"_There are many types of youkai; they come in different forms; you must learn to recognize them, hime-sama_," the memory went on.

She had thought it was safe; she had not known, when Amaya said humans and youkai dwelled in harmony in the Western Lands, that she meant that the creatures lived _among_ humans.

"_Some even appear almost human. Those,_" sensei had paused for emphasis, "_Are the most powerful and dangerous of all youkai. Be extremely wary of them._"

She distantly heard Amaya say something and dimly realized that she had stopped dead. She tried to answer, tried to tear her gaze away but could not make her body respond.

They stopped directly in front of her.

_Be extremely wary_.

Izayoi felt the strength leave her legs and thought for one horrified moment that she was about to faint. It was said that youkai could smell fear; could they sense hers?

But the two youkai were not looking at her. "Amaya-chan!" called the red-haired female. Instead of bowing, she merely lifted one hand in casual salutation. The hand was clawed and marked with a corral-red line that spiraled around her wrist. "Shinju-chan," she added, turning so Izayoi could see that her eyes were a brilliant, inhuman green.

"Tsubomi-chan, Wakagi-san," her cousin returned without batting an eyelash.

The female – Tsubomi – smiling in apparent delight, stepped forward. "What brings you to town? We rarely see you these days."

"The usual." Amaya gave a slight shrug. "And if you miss me so much, you know that my door always open to you," she reminded archly.

It was surreal watching Amaya speak to the youkai as she would to a childhood friend. The world seemed muffled, faraway, as Izayoi watched the scene before her, trying to grapple with this turn of events.

Tsubomi smirked and then another voice cut in.

"Won't you introduce us, Amaya-san?" The other youkai's voice sent chills skittering down Izayoi's back; it sounded like wind rustling through a forest, smooth and swift and utterly alien.

And with those words, Izayoi was no longer a passive watcher but a part of the nightmarish tableau. She lowered her gaze, buying time to gather the threads of her frayed composure.

"Oh, of course!" Her cousin turned so that she stood between them, pinching her lips in silent apology. "Mai-chan, these are Tsubomi and Wakagi."

Aside from its appalling familiarity, the introduction sounded truncated to Izayoi's ears; did youkai not have last names? She looked up to find them both giving her friendly smiles that showed unnaturally sharp canines. Off balance, she sought words of courtesy, but found none. What did one say when meeting youkai? If there were correct phrases, she had never been taught them.

"Takahiro no Izayoi," she murmured, bowing shallowly. It seemed the polite thing to do even if she heard Kuma's hiss that she would bow to youkai.

"Izayoi-hime is my cousin from the East," Amaya elaborated as Izayoi straightened.

Both youkai nodded, the expression on their faces hinting that there was an unspoken message in those words.

Tsubomi spoke into the barest awkward pause. "We must be going. I shall call on you some other time, Amaya-chan," she said smoothly. "An honor meeting our guest from the East," she added, tipping her head to Izayoi.

Wakagi gave her a bow as one who was her equal. "Enjoy your stay, hime," he said in that unsettling voice.

And then they were gone.

Amaya did not seem to take their abrupt departure amiss. She linked her arm through Izayoi's and resumed their foray through the mercantile area. The older cousin's uncharacteristic silence belied her casual actions, but Izayoi did not notice, head still whirling from that unsettling encounter.

Shaken, Izayoi found herself gently towed past a stall selling medicinal condiments, and then tugged towards the shop beside it. They were about to step inside when two figures sailed through the door in a flurry of colorful sleeves and giggles.

Izayoi glanced after the retreating figures and felt her breath catch when she spotted the white tips of three bushy red tails waving merrily from beneath the hem of each female's kimono.

_Kitsune._

And then Amaya was mounting the single step that led to the shop and Izayoi perforce stepped up with her. There was no time to think or to react.

She barely registered the handsome wood paneled walls, and the beautiful hand-painted scrolls that adorned them. She was only vaguely aware of a silk-covered table on which baubles lay strewn, and of the person standing behind the table.

"Amaya-sama," came a jovial hail.

Amaya unlinked their arms and stepped forward.

Izayoi looked up in her direction.

"Konnichiwa, Akaishi-san. How do you fare?"

Izayoi registered the irony in Amaya's voice as her eyes found the merchant.

At first glance, the grey hair lent the impression of age. An elderly businessman, was her first thought. But the youthful face and wide smile dispelled that illusion. Then she saw the pointed canines and noticed the delicately pointed ears protruding from the grey hair.

She felt the floor drop from beneath her feet.

"Getting by, if only just." The youkai's deprecating tone gave away the understatement. Amaya's snort confirmed Izayoi's suspicion.

If the youkai was perturbed by Amaya's show of disbelief, it did not show. "It has been a long time since Amaya-sama has patronized this humble store." He bowed, showing every human courtesy unlike the pair on the street, but Izayoi thought the gesture exaggerated, sanctimonious. "Is there something I can offer you and your lovely companion?" he asked, straightening and Izayoi found herself the focus of a shrewd, twinkling gaze.

She stiffened and felt Kuma draw close behind her, but whether it was from protectiveness or unease, she could not guess.

Amaya was eyeing the assorted bangles, hair ornaments and necklaces that were displayed. "Just paying a routine call on one of my father's most trusted merchants."

The youkai took his gaze off Izayoi, and the hime breathed a little easier. The irony had not left Amaya's tone, she noted, and wondered at it.

"Ah, but fortune has smiled on me today when it bought you to my door! Wait one moment, please," the youkai said profusely and then seemed to vanish.

Izayoi was unnerved but Amaya turned to give her a small reassuring smile, apparently unfazed.

As quickly as he had gone, the youkai reappeared, bearing a small, hinged box. "Hiroshi-sama commissioned this two moons ago." Bowing, he presented it to Amaya who took it without a second thought for the other's sharp claws. "To the good health of a mother-to-be and her kit, he said."

Hiroshi. The nakodo, Izayoi recalled with some surprise as Amaya lifted the lid of the box.

Nestled on a bed of silk was a necklace of small pink rose quartz beads. A larger tear-drop shaped crystal formed a pendant, flat but as wide as two fingers. On the smooth surface was etched the outline of a bird in flight.

Amaya exclaimed softly, lifting the piece of jewelry up.

"It is to be worn near your heart where the crystal will work best," the jeweler put in.

"This is beautiful." Beaming, Amaya turned to Izayoi, holding up the necklace for her to see.

Behind the table, the youkai bowed again, only a slight inclination of his body but the action seemed sincere. "I echo Hiroshi-sama's wish for the honorable lady and her kin."

"Thank you, Aikashi." The formality of rank had left Amaya, leaving only... her cousin.

A friend of youkai.

With a smile and a tone that was almost affectionate, Amaya slanted a glance over her shoulder at the being behind the table. "For a swindling, philandering trickster, you do good work."

"You flatter me," the jeweler said blandly. "But I cannot accept thanks for the necklace, Amaya-sama. That privilege belongs to the gift-giver."

"Indeed." Amaya's face smoothed, irony and reserve returning. "I believe I shall deliver my gratitude in person."

The rest of the shopping excursion was cut short with profuse apologies from Amaya that Izayoi assured was unnecessary. Shortly after that, she found herself back in the cart, rumbling slowly to the estate of Hiroshi, the matchmaker.

With time to think and feel at last, Izayoi stared out the window. Strength drained from her limbs in delayed reaction to what she had witnessed that day.

She guessed, from Amaya's nonchalance, that the presence of youkai was an everyday phenomenon in the West. On her last visit, she had never ventured off her uncle's property and if there had been any youkai in the Takase manor in that time, she had been blissfully unaware of their presence.

Perhaps she would confine herself to the manor again and avoid encounters with non-humans.

Feeling better for having found a way to resolve her predicament, Izayoi turned her mind to other matters. It occurred to her that she had never been in a situation of visiting a man before... and _why_ that was.

She hesitated before speaking. "Juushi-san?" Izayoi ventured.

"Hmm?" was the distracted response she got.

Amaya was admiring the necklace, holding it up to the light. Shinju murmured appreciation for the remarkable clarity of the crystal and the fine detail of the etching.

"...Is it... proper for us to be visiting Hiroshi-san like this?"

"Why ever not?" The question was apparently surprising enough to distract Amaya; she lowered her gift and looked at Izayoi with raised eyebrows.

"Well, he is a man and we are unescorted—" She broke off when her cousin grinned.

"I see your concern," her cousin said. "But believe me, it is completely all right for us to pay a call to the nakodo. You'll see."

Puzzled but somewhat reassured, Izayoi nodded, wondering what it was that made the matchmaker different from other men. Was he a eunuch?

"Tsubomi is beautiful, isn't she?"

Amaya's non sequitur startled her. She hesitated before replying. "Hai."

Amaya was smiling at her, the necklace seemingly forgotten in her lap. "Most youkai are."

Izayoi forced herself to stay still, squelching the urge to fidget uncomfortably. The knowing way Amaya was looking at her was disconcerting. She elected not to reply.

"Mai-chan?"

"Hai?"

Amaya bent a shrewd eye on her. "I saw how you reacted to Tsubomi and Wakagi and that conniving fox. You were not staring because they were beautiful." Her voice softened, as if to make up for the difficult message. "They scare you, don't they?"

To admit fear was weakness, was the pinnacle of dishonor. So Izayoi would not speak. Yet, she had always been honest with Amaya and so she would not lie. Her averted gaze said it all.

She heard a noisy breath released on the other side of the seating compartment. "Mai-chan," Amaya began. She was silent until Izayoi looked back at her. "There is no need to fear them. They're people too. They just look a little different," and here her lips curved in a jaunty smile. She sobered quickly, her humor short-lived. "They're not monsters."

Izayoi tried to imagine thinking of youkai as equals – and failed. They were monsters, creatures who ravaged and killed wantonly. They were not civilized, or mannered or reasonable or... or _honorable_.

And yet, it was Amaya who said otherwise. Amaya, the older cousin Izayoi looked up to and trusted explicitly. The older girl had lived with youkai – presumably – all her life. She could not be so wrong.

Izayoi, on the other hand, had only secondhand stories to base her belief on.

Unbidden, the memory of the jewel merchant demurring Amaya's gratitude flashed in her memory. In her mind's eye, she saw Wakagi bowing, wishing her a pleasant visit. She recalled Tsubomi's sparkling charm and good humor.

Izayoi found herself in turmoil. They were not what she had imagined.

"Mai-chan?"

"I shall think on what you have said, juushi-san," Izayoi said, hiding her confusion. She did not think such an ambiguous answer would satisfy her cousin. To her relief, Amaya only nodded and did not pursue the matter further.

They arrived at Hiroshi's estate shortly after that. Looking out the window, Izayoi was surprised to see a sizable manor surrounded by well-tended gardens. The matchmaker was a man of some means, it appeared.

A figure in azure haori and black hakama appeared at the entrance as the carriage rolled to a halt.

Amaya climbed down from the carriage first, followed by Shinju. As Izayoi alighted, she heard a light tenor voice say amiably, "Amaya-sama, what a pleasant surprise."

For some unknown reason, the simple greeting made Amaya laugh.

Izayoi straightened her tsukesage with a surreptitious tug and went to stand with her cousin. Only then did she get a good look at the man... who was no man.

"Hiroshi-san, do not pretend that you did not know we were coming," Amaya chided while Izayoi tried not to stare at the nakodo who was youkai.

- - -

He had indeed known they were coming. He did not openly admit it but there was laughter in his melting brown eyes.

Izayoi could hardly believe she was sitting in a youkai's house, drinking his tea, attempting to make polite conversation with him.

"Hisui is well. She has gone with the children to see the rest of our clan," he was saying in response to Amaya asking for his wife. He had rich russet hair, pulled back at the crown to display his widow's peak prominently. A narrow face and slanted eyes and a sharp nose made him look almost vulpine. Besides the physical differences, his manner also struck Izayoi as strange. He _looked_ – and sounded – like an amiable young man, yet _acted_ the indulgent middle-aged lord. She wondered how old he was.

They were in a room that looked like the interior of any normal human home, with tea laid before them and a servant waiting silently just outside the screen door. The kamon – a stylized fox – was subtly worked into the woodwork framing the screens and painted on the lampshades.

The opening formalities of asking after each other's families had already been taken care of. Talk lapsed and silence fell.

Feeling stifled, Izayoi set down her teacup with care, making sure her hand did not tremble. She and Amaya faced the youkai, both seated seiza, with backs straight, legs folded beneath them.

"Hiroshi-san, I really must thank you for your generous gift. It is lovely," Amaya said, coming to the point of the visit at last.

"Ii-e, ii-e, Amaya-sama, do not mention it; it was a mere token," Hiroshi waved a hand expansively. "I do like to see my matches come to fruition," he said.

Izayoi darted him a shocked glance but his expression was deadpan, save the way his eyes danced. Glancing at Amaya, she saw her normally unflappable cousin blush and look faintly annoyed.

"So happy to have obliged you, nakodo-san," Amaya said caustically.

Hiroshi only laughed. "Is this the hime's first visit to the lands of the West?" he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.

Izayoi struggled for composure, the sudden attention catching her off guard. "Ii-e, Hiroshi-san. I visited once before, years ago," she answered, trying not to sound like a timid child.

"I see. For your health, is it?" he asked, startling her anew. "I detected some congestion in your breathing, hime; that is all," he soothed in response to her wide-eyed look.

_He... detected?_

"It is improving," she managed to stutter.

To her dismay, Amaya suggested, "Perhaps we can get a crystal to help you recuperate faster, mai-chan."

Izayoi shook her head quickly. "That will not be necessary, juushi-san. Time spent in this fair land will bring healing enough for me." She looked up and, quite by accident, her gaze tangled with Hiroshi's. In that electrifying, awkward moment of contact, her lips pulled up in an automatic, weak smile and then her instinctive fear asserted itself and her eyes darted aside.

In the next moment, she realized how rude was and felt her face heat in shame. Slowly, deliberately, she made herself look back at him to find him watching her with a slight smile on his face. The smile grew when their eyes met but he kept his lips mercifully sealed so that no hint of fangs showed.

"I wish you a swift recovery then, hime-sama. If there is anything in which I can be of assistance, please allow this humble servant to help." He rested his palms on the floor and bent forward and she immediately did the same.

"Hiroshi-san is most kind." She was a little aghast at his generous offer, ashamed of her stilted behavior towards him.

_Neither civilized nor mannered_, her earlier thought returned to taunt her.

She had been wrong.

Her visceral fear eased, just a little and the rest of the conversation felt less forced. Still, she was glad when Amaya took leave of their host.

"By the way, Amaya-sama," the nakodo said on their way back to the entrance. "The last time we met you mentioned trade with the East has been strengthened. I have some ideas that I'd like to get your opinion on, if you don't mind."

Seeing the glance the cousins exchanged, he added, "It will not take long. Perhaps hime-sama would like to stroll in the garden? I believe the wisteria is still in bloom at this time."

Izayoi caught the tiny, encouraging smile Amaya gave her and bowed in acquiescence. "I would enjoy that, Hiroshi-san."

"Yumi will guide you," Hiroshi gestured to the servant trailing behind them; a youkai woman with a feathery fall of blue hair.

"That will not be necessary," Izayoi said, attempting to mask her alarm with courtesy. "My maid Kuma will be company enough."

Hiroshi bowed and she returned the courtesy. "An honor to meet you, hime-sama. If I may be of service, please do not hesitate to send word," he said again.

She briefly wondered if he meant that he could arrange a match for her should she require it. The thought filled her with equal amusement and alarm. "Arigatou," was all she said.

She left them to their discussion.

The gardens were larger than she had at first thought, opening up to the wild slopes of majestic mountains in the south. She found the wisteria, violet and abundant, lining the way to the wilderness. Turning away from there, she followed a pebbled path that led to an open expanse of higher ground where a pavilion sat in solitary serenity, overlooking the gardens.

Within the pavilion sat a sou inlaid with shell and ivory that traced an intricate fox motif into the polished wood.

After a moment of hesitation, Izayoi gingerly sank to her knees behind the instrument. The view was wonderful; in the foreground, wisteria nodded in unison to the breeze while in the background, a waterfall formed a silver line down the mountain.

Her fingers went to the strings almost without her conscious decision. The wind bore away the first note she struck. She plucked another, and then another, slowly molding the melody of a classic song about mountains and meadows.

- - -

Author's Notes: So you're wondering where the Izayoi/Touga fluff is, right? Soon, it'll be here soon. There will probably be teasers for the next chapter on the LJ communityin the near future(see my profile for the link).

I should mention that there really _is_ a classic tune called _Mountains and Meadows_ but it's not of Japanese origin. The version I know is played on guitar by the amazing Brad Prevedoros. There might be tunes in praise for mountains and meadows in Japanese that I just don't know about.

**Glossary**  
_-chan _- Casual term appended to name to signify familiarity and closeness  
_hai _- Yes  
_hakama _- A very wide pair of pants traditionally worn by men.  
_haori _- Hip- or thigh-length kimono coat.  
_hime _- Princess / lady  
_ii-e _- Literally, 'no', but connotative can mean 'say nothing of it'  
_juushi _- Older cousin sister.  
_kamon _- Family crest  
_kimono _- Generic term for clothing  
_mai _- From juumai, meaning younger cousin sister.  
_nakodo _- Matchmaker  
_-sama _- Title/honorific, generic  
_-san _- Most generic title for people  
_sou _- 13-stringed koto or Japanese harp  
_tsukesage _- Kimono with modest patterns worn by unmarried women, somewhat casual  
_youkai _- Creatures in Japanese folklore. Some possess part animal and part human features. Generally have a sort of spiritual or supernatural power.


	5. Verse 4: Many Meetings

**Title:** _Tsuki no Aika_ (Lament of the Moon)  
**Summary:** The tale of the love between the _daiyoukai _of the West and a _hime _from the East.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its elements. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.  
**Note**: Once again, I have not placed Japanese terms in italics. Hope it reads better this way!

_Thank you, **sesshoumarunaraku**, **Minako Miharu**, and **Lady Izayoi**, for taking the time to drop me comments!  
See end of chapter for special note of thanks._

-  
- **_Four _**-  
-

A narrow but deep ravine separated the kitsune's house from the wilderness.

Touga elected to use the bridge that hung over the chasm rather than leap over the gorge. Far below, he could hear the gushing of swift-flowing water fed by the great falls that ran down the mountainside.

Dirt melded into cobbled pathways and Touga passed carefully shaped shrubs and weathered-looking statuary. Purple wisteria waved on either side of him and above the smell of flowers, he caught a different scent, an unfamiliar one. He stopped, testing the air. It was a human, he could tell, and yet the scent was different from those he was used to; it was crisp, almost sharp, like ice.

He decided to investigate, following the scent up a path to his left.

Trailing behind him, Sesshoumaru also caught the scent but, identifying it as human, dismissed it and went on to the kitsune's home. "I shall announce you, chichi-ue," he told his father.

Touga turned his head and nodded curt acknowledgement. As he walked pass more statuary of foxes and humans, he was again conscious of the unaccustomed weight of Souunga across his back, nudging the pelt at his right shoulder with each step. If he tried, he could feel the coiled presence seething beneath the barrier he held. He shrugged minutely to resettle the weight, telling himself that he _would_ be rid of the accursed sword before too long.

His nose led him up the slope to the top of the hillock where he vaguely recalled a pavilion sat. Long before he reached the peak, a breezy fall of notes reached his ears.

Dark hair lifting in the wind was the first thing he saw, coming upon her. Dark hair and peach sleeves and white hands dancing across the strings of the instrument she played.

A young human woman sat in the pavilion, playing the koto. As he approached, he noted the elderly lady sitting in attendance; a serving woman, he judged based on their body language and appearance.

The young woman looked up as he drew near and the sight of him stilled her fingers. She rose to her feet and the last notes faded between them as they all but stared at each other. She broke the contact and looked down.

He broke the tableau by bowing. "Good afternoon, lady. You play most beautifully." That it had been her scent and not her music that had drawn him was not relevant at this point.

He noted with interest that she bowed as one would to an equal rather than as to a superior. "You are kind... warrior." Uncertainty made her pause before addressing him.

His lips twitched. "I am... Touga," he gave her his name. It felt a little strange; most people knew him by sight and by title and it appeared that this young woman knew neither.

As expected, the name made no impression on her. "Takahiro no Izayoi," she replied, eyes still downcast.

Her family name cemented his vague notion that she was not from this land; Takahiro was a powerful House in the East, one closely tied to the emperor. It explained her unfamiliar scent; few traveled such great distances, and fewer still among the nobility.

Whimsically, he wondered if she had called him 'warrior' in retaliation for his addressing her as a mere 'lady'. "An honor, hime." He bowed again, deeper, more formal. "Is all well with you?" he asked politely.

His simple courtesy made her hesitate. "Hai, arigatou. Touga-san," she said without lifting her gaze.

It had been a long time since a human had appended the generic title to his name and, while he did not care about such formalities, he found himself feeling surprised.

She seemed a timid one; she could not have tried to insult him on purpose. He considered leaving her in peace but it was rude to appear and then disappear so abruptly. "Have you business with Hiroshi-san?" he enquired. It was not rare for the kitsune to have human visitors and friends; the fox enjoyed associating with them.

"Ii-e. It is my cousin, Takase no Amaya who has sought him out; I am merely accompanying her."

Touga wondered at the quick, almost defensive answer until he remembered that Hiroshi had taken the profession of matchmaker among the humans.

He masked amusement, making a small sound of understanding. "I am acquainted with Shinawaru-dono. He is a good man."

His words seemed to disconcert her, drawing a quick, startled glance. The wide dark eyes lowered again as he puzzled over her curious, almost painfully stilted reactions.

There was an awkward pause.

"Please, do not let me interrupt, hime," he said, gesturing to the instrument before her.

She glanced aside before sinking back to her knees. "Is there something in particular you would like to hear, Touga-san?"

He looked away, down the hill and to the mountain beyond the ravine. It was a serene scene, one that seemed as if nothing could touch it. He wished that he did not know just _how _fragile that peace was. The knowledge weighed on him, as much a burden as the dragon blade on his back. "Something to fit the day, hime," he said quietly.

In the periphery of his vision, he saw her incline her body in a shallow bow. Her fingers poised above the strings for a moment then she began.

The song started slow, almost melancholy, and then she struck a pure note and the entire melody _changed _– or perhaps it was his perception of it that changed.

Peace and beauty and hope ran through the carefully sounded notes. He shifted his weight, taking a comfortable stance and let the music wash sweep away his cares, if only briefly.

"Oyakata-sama," Myouga greeted, landing on his shoulder. "Who is that?" the flea asked, distracted by the musician in the pavilion.

Touga slanted him a narrow-eyed look. His annoyance at the untimely interruption quickly dissipated to resignation; it was time to get back to his errand.

The hime's eyes were half-closed in concentration, watching her fingers flit across the strings and he was loath to interrupt her.

Then he noticed the serving woman watching him. He sketched a bow at her lady and the woman gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

He left. Retracing his steps, he descended the hillock and continued on his way to the kitsune's home. "Tell me," he said simply, prompting Myouga to report.

"The blast just missed the foxes. It cut through the owls' holt and ended at the wolves' cliffs. Most of the wolves were in their dens since it was morning. Some were trapped inside caves. They are being dug out now. There were eight returning from the hunt and they were hit. Five are injured but they'll recover. The other three were lost." Myouga paused delicately.

Touga set his jaw. The brief respite on the top of the hill was swept away like so much mist and reality reasserted itself stridently.

"And the owls?"

"They lost half their number. Oyakata-sama." Myouga bowed in wordless apology for being the bearer of ill news.

Touga kept walking towards the house, saying nothing. More than ever, he was conscious of Souunga on one shoulder.

Soon, he promised himself.

When he arrived at the manor house, he found the kitsune speaking with another young human woman, one who bore only the commonplace scent of a pregnant woman of the West.

Hiroshi saw him first and, following the direction of his gaze, the woman turned.

He watched her eyes spring wide in shock and she fell to her knees, her female attendant following suit. "Inu no Taisho," she breathed, head descending to the floor.

He had long since given up trying to stop the genuflection. Instead, he spoke, forestalling further groveling. "Takase no Amaya, I give you and your House greeting."

The words had the desired effect of surprising her into looking up and he nodded once, then transferred his gaze to the kitsune who looked on, apparently amused. "Excuse me, I did not mean to interrupt."

"Ii-e. I was just about to leave," the woman said hastily and rose. "Hiroshi-san, arigatou," she said, bending in farewell to her host.

The kitsune mirrored her action. "Let me send Yumi to collect your cousin."

"I would be grateful," she said.

Touga considered mentioning where the hime was but thought better of it. He returned Takase no Amaya's bow and watched her leave with as much speed as could be mustered without sacrificing dignity.

Left alone, the two youkai eyed each other.

"Do you always have that effect on humans?" Hiroshi asked at length.

"Sometimes," Touga answered blandly.

"How did you know who she was?" There was a canny slant in the fox spirit's expression as he posed the question.

Touga gave him a blank look and was saved from conjuring verisimilitude by Myouga's timely interruption.

"Hiroshi-san!" the flea greeted expansively.

"Myouga-san." Hiroshi's eyes shifted to Touga's shoulder where the flea bowed. "Is all well with you?"

"Well, for the most part, thank you for asking."

"Where is my son?" the inugami cut short the banal exchange.

"In the next room; he seemed to think it better to wait outside the human's presence."

"I'm surprised he cared either way," Touga muttered.

The fox smirked. "So tell me," he asked as he slid back the shoji screen of the adjacent room, "What brings the Inu no Taisho to my door?"

Inside, Sesshoumaru sat in stoic stillness.

The daiyoukai did not answer until the four of them were arrayed on the tatami and the screen shut.

"I require the aid of a powerful miko or houshi," he opened. He sensed Myouga wincing at his blunt words.

The kitsune reacted just as he anticipated; with skepticism and mockery. "And what would the inu daiyoukai require of a human with holy ki?"

"The sealing of a youkai."

One eyebrow rose. "And the legendary Fuuyin no Kiba cannot accomplish the task?"

For a long moment, the inu youkai eyed his ally. The six-tailed kitsune was not particularly powerful but, like all kitsune, his strength lay in guile rather than brute force. Still, there were times when the fox's sly humor grew tiresome.

This was one of them.

Moving with deliberation, Touga drew the possessed sword and laid in on the floor between them.

Both russet eyebrows were up now and their gazes met and locked. "I apologize if I have given offence, Touga-san, but is it really necessary to threaten me in my own home?" The words were conciliatory but the snap in the tone was not.

The kitsune apparently did not know when to stop. Rather than engage in a pointless staring contest, the inu daiyoukai said incisively, "This sword bears a malicious spirit that possessed its bearer. For the protection of the land, it _must _be sealed."

Hiroshi's eyebrows returned to their customary position and his lips parted. He seemed to change his mind, shutting his mouth without saying anything.

The screen parted; a blue-haired female youkai knelt and entered the room, bearing a tray. She served the three guests and then Hiroshi. Pausing at the door, she informed the master of the house that the two human women had been safely sent off. She slid the door shut and the four were left alone again.

Hiroshi picked up the thread of their interrupted conversation. "Why not just destroy it, then?"

"It can't be destroyed," Touga told him. "It was forged from a dragon's tooth."

"Ah." Mockery laced the expression of understanding.

Touga watched the kitsune curl one hand around his teacup and gaze at the steam rising above the rim. All levity drained out of that sharp-featured face, leaving it a mask of intense thought. It was an expression Touga had seen many times in war councils.

"You have the best knowledge of the going-ons in the human world," Touga said into the quiet. "Who would you say can help us in this matter?"

"A powerful miko or houshi," the kitsune murmured without shifting his gaze. In a quicksilver shift in manner, he sat up and abandoned his cup. Eyeing the sword, he said briskly, "There are a number of possible candidates but they are scattered across Japan."

"Understood," the inu daiyoukai said shortly. He had known it would not be a simple task. "Who are they?"

"Saiko in the North. Katchei in the East." The nakodo paused to think, then shrugged, apparently coming up with no more names.

"Aren't there any here in the West?" Touga muttered under his breath, more by way of complaint than real demand. He knew there were none, just as he knew the reason for the lack; spiritual warriors went where they were needed, protecting the people, fighting evil. The West was at peace and, until and unless a holy warrior got it into his or her head to 'do away with the evil youkai overlord', none had cause to venture into his realm. "Is that all?" he asked.

Hiroshi shrugged. "There are two more, but they tend to wander."

"Is there any way to track them down?"

"It will take time."

Touga snorted. "Of course."

"I shall endeavor to locate the miko Izumi and the houshi Sunase. In the meantime, would you care to go and see the other two?"

Touga nodded once, resheathing Souunga. He may as well start with the one closest at hand. "Where is Katchei?"

"Hakuba."

- - -

Hakuba, land-locked and high in the mountains. Life was hard there, with its thin soil and biting chill. The vegetation was stunted and grey, adapted to living in such inclement conditions. Snow-capped peaks soared above the village, white and sparking with ice crystals.

He stood on the only path leading to the hamlet, facing the palisade, with its barred gates and its watchman's perch.

"_Youkai!_"

The gates opened and the menfolk of the village poured out, bearing spears and bows, sickles and hoes.

Watching them, he ruefully acknowledged that it had been a long time since he left the West and traveled beyond its borders. While Myouga was adept at gathering news and kept him informed of the current affairs, there were things that went unsaid and even more that he had forgotten.

One such was the fact that youkai were feared and hunted with virulence.

At his side, Sesshoumaru was poised to respond to the attack, tension radiating from him.

Unfortunately, they were handicapped. They could not strike back; it would only incite the humans more. So Touga kept absolutely still, holding his ground.

A few of the humans faltered in the charge but most were still coming at him full tilt.

Eyes narrowing, Touga formed his ki until burning acid. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the whip cutting into across sere ground.

The humans skidded to a halt as a wall flared up two paces in front of them, spewing green flame and noxious vapor.

When the wall collapsed, the humans closest to the youkai lay in an untidy pile. Before they could resume the attack, Touga pitched his voice to carry to the would-be defenders. "I seek the houshi Katchei."

Consternation rippled through the gathered humans. One bold soul spoke up. "What do you want with houshi-sama?"

"That is between he and I," Touga threw back.

"Are you here to kill him?" the same human persisted.

The question disconcerted him. "I have no reason to."

"What reason is there for a youkai to seek out a houshi if not to destroy him?"

"To ally with him," Touga snapped, growing impatient.

In the disbelieving silence that followed, the gates of the village opened again.

The crowd parted and to the front came a man with grey hair and a wispy beard. The shakujou clattered softly as he planted it on the ground beside him. Beneath bushy brows, the houshi stared at him. "What do you want?"

Touga sensed no trace of gathering houriki and shook off annoyance at the monk's hostility. "I am the Inu no Taisho of the Western Lands. Katchei-sama, I require your aid to safeguard our land from one who would destroy it."

Predictably, murmurs and gasps rose from the humans. "But I thought he would be dead... wasn't a legend... what's he doing here..."

The monk banged his staff forcefully once, quieting the whispers. "You? Save the world? I find that hard to believe."

Touga heard the growl behind him and shot Sesshoumaru a look. The message was clear: be still.

Switching his attention back to the humans, he calmed himself; losing his temper now would do nothing to speed matters along. With diplomacy that would have made Myouga proud, he bowed and suggested, "Perhaps we can sit down and you can see for yourself that I speak truth."

From twenty paces away, he heard the monk huff skeptically. Still, it appeared that his tact had worked for Katchei started towards him.

Touga let some of the tension leak away.

His relief was cut short when the old man pitched forward suddenly and tumbled to the ground in a dead faint.

The houshi was ill.

Katchei sat on his sleeping mat and wheezed. He was old and afflicted with a severe cold that left him without a moment of ease. The climate did not help; he was confined to his hut where devoted villagers brought hot infusions and fuel for the fire to keep their honored spiritual guide in what warmth and comfort they could manage.

Touga sat beside the human's bed, the dragon sword lying on the bare space between his knees and the tatami on which the aged human sat.

"_If he had wanted to, he could have killed us all_," the cantankerous monk had waved off his villagers' concern when they protested letting the inu youkai into his hut.

The inu daiyoukai breathed in the scents of the room -- wood-smoke and lamp oil, faint mould from lack of airing and sunlight, the brittle smell of the houshi himself and that underlying sharpness of cold – and tried to shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something.

Despite his words to the villagers, Katchei could hardly be called gracious. "Possessed by a dragon," he repeated. One gnarled hand reached between them and touched the silver hilt.

"The blade is under my barrier," Touga explained, leeching all emotion out of his tone.

"If that is so, you do not need my aid," Katchei, withdrawing his hand and glaring.

"I cannot keep up the barrier indefinitely. It must be sealed," the inugami said implacably.

Katchei matched his tone. "I cannot help you." The monk folded his hands into his sleeves and shut his eyes in clear dismissal.

Touga lifted a hand sharply, forestalling the diatribe Sesshoumaru drew breath to deliver. The older youkai bent, his brief bow segueing into the action of rising. "Then I shall take my leave," he said, and matched action to word.

Standing outside the village, he wrapped youki tightly around the sword before slipping into his other the form of a glowing sphere and taking to the sky. He would not risk making himself vulnerable to the dragon blade but it would take him months to reach the monks on foot.

With his son behind him, he flew North, seeking the second person Hiroshi had named.

Saiko lived with the mining colony not far from Towoda Ko. The peaceful, mist-shrouded caldera beckoned as Touga crossed it and he was again assaulted by the niggling sense that there was something missing.

He came to the mining settlement, recognizing the landmarks Hiroshi had named. Resuming human form, he entered the bustling colony.

The miners were less helpless than the villagers, but just as wary. Despite their distrust, they let him speak. One burly fellow jerked his head, indicating that they should follow him. He led them through grey streets with his companions trailing behind, curious and suspicious.

The entire place was covered with soot and dust – the ground, the houses, even the people. Beneath the sound of everyday life, Touga heard the ring of pickaxes being swung in rhythm. By the time their guide came to a halt in front of a slate-colored house, the unrelenting sounds had begun to grate at him.

"_Houshi_! Oi! Visitors." With that unceremonious announcement, their escort withdrew to join his fellows at a watchful distance.

The door of the hut banged open and a young man stood in the doorway, fists on hips. The houshi looked like every other miner; grimy and dressed in the same dust-encrusted, close-fitting garb.

Only the way his expression sharpened at sight of the youkai – and the sudden crackle houriki in the air – distinguished him from the rest.

"What do you want?" was the graceless demand he issued by way of greeting.

Touga paused, nonplussed. "Houshi Saiko. I am the Touga, the Inu no Taisho of the West. I require your aid in preserving the safety of the world."

For a moment, there was no sound save the sound of mining and dust settling. Perhaps the monk found Touga as disconcerting as the inu youkai had found him.

Then one of the miners snickered then broke into outright laughter. He was joined by the others, their mirth becoming a rising cacophony.

Touga ignored them, holding the monk's eye.

"Shut up, all of you," Saiko barked. His order only renewed the miners' amusement. Rolling his eyes, the monk beckoned Touga into his hut. There was a subtle slant to his features that dared the youkai to do so.

Setting his face in an impassive mask, Touga climbed up the stairs, passing within a hairsbreadth of the houshi to cross the threshold.

The inside of the hut was only marginally cleaner than the outside. Saiko shut the door firmly on his wards' amusement, then gestured curt invitation for the inugami to sit.

Touga settled down, facing the monk. He did not miss the way Sesshoumaru hesitated, casting a disdainful eye on the cinder-covered floor before seating himself.

"Inu no Taisho. I have heard of you," began the monk.

Touga did not particularly want to know what the young monk had heard. He cut short the posturing with a nod and a noncommittal sound. Moving slowly to show that it was not an attack, he once again drew Souunga from its sheath and laid it before the monk.

Saiko picked it up and Touga felt fleeting houriki dance across his barrier like needles of ice on his skin. "What is it?"

"Souunga, the blade forged from the tooth of a dragon. It bears the power of a dragon – so it claims – and wants only to cover the earth with death." He drew a long, slow breath, trying not to inhale too much dust. He wearied of retelling the story so many times in a day. "This blade must be sealed," he said shortly.

"What makes you think I can seal it?" asked the monk, setting the blade back down on the floor between their knees.

Touga shrugged. "You were one of the names I was given when I asked for a strong houshi or miko."

"I'm flattered." The monk's tone was dry as old bones. "Who else are you taking this to?"

"Katchei." The name drew a moue from Saiko that dislodged flakes of ash from his cheeks. With a mirthless smile, Touga continued, "I also seek the location of the miko Izumi and the houshi Sunase."

Saiko brightened. "They could help you." Unsaid but not unheard was, 'I cannot.'

Touga squelched disappointment. "Do you know where they are?" he asked, more to make himself focus on the matter at hand than in any real expectation.

The monk turned his gaze up at the cobwebbed rafters in thought. "It's winter," he said, sounding almost casual. "They usually winter in their home village in Yamanashi-ken."

Touga felt his eyes blaze with hope.

- - -

**BIG NEWS!** (Well, at least it's big news to me!) **_Tsuki no Aika_ has been nominated for "Best Drama" in Feudal Association Mar 2006 **(see my profile for link). I don't know who nominated me but, whoever you are, I just wanted to say a big, big, _BIG _thank you! (If it was you, let me know so I can thank you properly!). I'm… flattered? Humbled? Nervous? A bit of all three, I suppose. This is really motivating me to move faster with this story. _Arigatou gozaimashita_, again!

**Glossary**  
_arigatou _- Thank you  
_chichi-ue _- Father, respectful, possessive. 'My father, above me'  
_daiyoukai _- Greater youkai. Literally 'big _youkai'_.  
_-dono _- Title/honorific, means "lord"  
_Fuuyin no Kiba _- "Fang of Sealing" - attack used to seal powerful enemies when no means of destroying them can be found. (Non canon)  
_hai _- Yes  
_hime _- Princess / lady  
_houriki _- Ki (supernatural energy / life force) of a _houshi_ (monk)  
_houshi _- monk  
_ii-e _- Literally, 'no', but connotative can mean 'say nothing of it'  
_inu no taisho _- "Dog General"  
_inugami _- Dog spirit of Japanese myth.  
_ken _- Prefecture  
_ki _- A "life force" or "spiritual energy" that is part of everything that exists and sustains living beings (based on belief systems in Asia).  
_kitsune _- Fox spirit of Japanese myth  
_ko _- Lake  
_koto _- A traditional stringed musical instrument from Japan.  
_miko _- Shrine maiden of Shinto belief, not to be confused with priestess.  
_nakodo _- Matchmaker  
_oyakata _- Clan leader  
_-sama_ - Title/honorific of respect  
_-san _- Most generic title for people  
_shakujou _- Monk's staff. Literally, 'copper staff'.  
_sou _- 13-stringed variety of _koto_ or Japanese harp. Full name is _sou no koto_.  
_tatami _- Sleeping or sitting mat.  
_youkai _- Creatures in Japanese folklore. Some possess part animal and part human features. Generally have a sort of spiritual or supernatural power.  
_youki _- A _youkai's_ power / energy


End file.
